More than £750m of capital funding is required to deliver the sustainability and transformation plan for Cheshire and Mersey, according to a document leaked to HSJ.
HSJ has seen a version of the region’s STP submission, which has been led by Louise Shepherd, chief executive of Alder Hey Children’s Foundation Trust. The document, which appears to be the final submission to NHS England, says: “We recognise that these plans are heavily dependent upon capital – up to £755m additional funding requirement in current plans…
“However, we recognise there is still significant work to do before these high level requirements are turned into robust business case ready solutions. In particular to fully articulate the cost/benefits associated with the proposed investment…
“We also understand that capital funding is extremely limited and that we will need to focus investment in those schemes that provide the most beneficial impact on our STP plans.”
NHS England has told local leaders not to publish their full STPs at this stage. Earlier this year, NHS England and NHS Improvement warned leaders working on the plans that capital funding is “extremely constrained”. They were advised to look for “other possible sources” for the funds they need.
The Cheshire and Mersey document also raises concerns over a lack of contingency funding.
Full story in The HSJ 4 November 2016